New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-02


feel as if you couldn't change. Well have to, il
The landlord doesn't do something about Tx
| closets. It's no good telling the agent and L dom
Know as anybody in the house knows just who tn,
landlord is Anyway, the smells enough 10 xii
you sometimes, and it's a burning disgrace that
human beings have to live in such pig pen. IT,
cheap rent We pay IS month for this place
hen l came here it was from a necll-tie place
over on Alenst. that's moved now and my hus
hanu was mate on tug and earned well. But he
took 10 drink and sold off everything I'd brought
with me, and at last he was hurt in fight
round the corner and died in hospital of gangrene
mary husband there was a bIiclIayer and had
big wages, but he drank them fast as he made
them, and he was ugly when the drink was in
which mine wasn't. But there's hardly one in
ms house. man or woman that don't take drOI
10 keep OIL the fever: and even l. that hate tho
sight or smell of il, I wake up in the morning
with an awful kind o. Goneness that seems as if
a taste might help it. The tea stops that. though
Teas the best friend we've got We'd never stand
1T if it wasn't for to-
Are overalls steady pay through the year p
| There's nothing that's steady far as ! can
find out, but want and misery. just now oycrallS
arc up; the Lord only knows why. for you never
can tell what1 be UP and what down They re
UP. and we're making dollar "a dozen on these
have done dozen day but it's generally ten
| lhereS inc long seams, and the two pockets and
the buckle strap and the waistband and three
rblittOnboles and the stays and the finishing.
Bone right out OF you before night comes. But
you sleep like the dead, that's one comfort. 1T
would he more If you didn't have to wake more
than they do When the overall rush is over it'll
bc back to pants again. That's my trade
| learned it regular after i was married when saw
| I'm wasn't going To he any dependence. There
were the children then. and | thought I'd send ZEN
| 10 school and keep things decent maybe | know
| all about pants, the best and the worst but it's
mostly worse these days First the German womer
pied In ready to do your work for half your
| rates, and when they'd cot well started in comes
the Italians and cuts under till it's wonder any
body keeps soul and body together"
| We DON'T one of the women said turning
suddenly. II got rid o. my soul long ago. such MS
| twas Who's got time to think about souls
grinding away here fourteen hours day to turn
out contract goods. 1aint souls that count It.
bodies that be driven. an half starved an
driven still, till they drop in their tracks. I'm
| driving now to paw a doctors bill for my
three that went with the fever. Before that
| L was driving TO put food into their mouths
never owed a cent TO no man Pvc been honest
and paid as went and done good turn when I
| could III Ia chosen the other thing while Pt
q pretty face of my I'd had ease and com
| tort and quick death. Such life rs this ism
| living"
| The machine whirled on she ended TO make
| up the time lost i'm her outburst The fnishc,
shook her head as she looked at her. then poured
cup OF tea and put ii silently on the edge Of tn,
/ tuole Wncfc III could ne reached.
"She's right enough" she said "but there's NJ
| use thinking about it 1 try to sometimes. just tt
| see II there's any way out, but there isn't I've
even said I'd take place but don't know any
| thing about homework. and who'd take one look
| ing as do. and not rag that's fit to be nut on
L cover up in an old waterproof when T 90 for
work They wouldn't give il TO me If they saw
my dress in rags below, and me with no time C
| mend it. But we're doing better than some
We've had meat twice this week and we've kept
H.
twelve cents scuttle and no place to keep more
If ever we GOT ahead enough to get more al
time. It's lucky that teas SO staying Give mo
plenty of tea and the most want generally he
sides is bread and scrare Of butter It's all fig
ured out It's long since Pve spent more than
scventy-fve cents a week for what 7 must eat
I've no time to cook even il had ANYTHING SO it's
lucky | haven't. | suppose thcrcd he plenty To
eat If YOU once made up your mind 10 take
place"
Ii was the second machine that stopped now
and the haggard woman running it faced about
suddenly.
"Do you know what come 10 my girl - sh
said. "My girl that I brought UP decent AMI
that was good girl / said To myself trade
was no good. for il was more an more starvation
WAGES, and I'd put her with folks that would he
good to her. even if the other girls did look dow
on Der for going into service. She fifteen ard
still little thing with soft eyes and pretty sof
way, il she did come of drinking father. ! put
her with lady that wanted a waitress and saiC
she'd train her well She'd three boarders in tho
house and all gentlemen 10 look at, and that
in bank to day he did his best TO turn her head
| on the sly. and when he found he couldn't. one
sunday when she was alone in the house and none
| to hear or help, he had his will The mistrcs
| turned her of the hour she heard il. for Nctti
went 10 her when She come homo Such thing
don't happen unless the girl is 10 blame she said
| Never show your shameless face here again
| Nettie came home 10 me kind Of dazrd and sl
| stayed dazed till she went 10 hospital and baby
was born dead. and She dead herself a week after
| An IL isn't one time alone or my girl alone. It
| over an over an over that that thing happens
There's plenty that TO the bad Of their own FIRE
will, but know plenty more with the same chance
| That doesn't an there's many mother that's been
| IN service herself that says, Whatever the mis-
| tcSs may know about At she can't tell. but Tho
devils let loose when tho master or q maybe Is
| around. an they'll not have their giIls stands
what they had 10 stand and then turned of with
| out character because they were found with the
| master talIn TO en- lbs women that keeps won
! on down an is hard on EN-. III talxo my
| chances with any jew you'll bring along before
| I'll put myself in the power OF women that calls
| themselves ladies an hasn't as much heart rs n
broomsticlt; an I'll warn every girl to keep to
herself an learn trade an not the risk she'll
r7n if she goes out to service letting alone the
| you're looked down on"
| There was no time for discussion Tho machines
must 20 on. but, usual much more than the
! fact of which was in search had come TO me and
| strangely enough, in this mouse and in others Of
| its kind inspected one after another, much the
same story told In the improved tcne
ments" close at hand. where comparative comfor
refined, more than one woman gave willingly the
detail Of the weekly expenditure for food AMI
added, as if the underlying question had made It
self felt Its betthcr 10 be a little short even an
YOUR own miSthrss." with other words that have
their place elsewhere. On the upper floor Of one
Of these houses pantaloon-mal;er sat in hrelcss
| room. finishing the last Of dozen which when
taken back would give her money for coal ana
food. She had been i'll for three days and on the
bed-an old mattress dry-yoods box in the cor
ner "Eycn that's more than / had for good
while" she said. Ia pawned everything before